Cristina Neagu

Cristina Georgiana Neagu (Romanian pronunciation: [krisˈtina ˈne̯aɡu]; born 26 August 1988) is a Romanian professional handballer who plays as a left back for CSM București and the Romanian national team.[1][2]

Cristina Neagu
Neagu in 2017
Personal information
Full name Cristina Georgiana Neagu
Born (1988-08-26) 26 August 1988
Bucharest, Romania
Nationality Romanian
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Left back
Club information
Current club CSM București
Number 8
Youth career
Team
 CSŞ 5 București
Senior clubs
Years Team
0000–2006
 HC Activ Ploiești
2006–2009
 CS Rulmentul Brașov
2009–2013
 CS Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea
2013–2017
 ŽRK Budućnost
2017–
 CSM București
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–
 Romania 204 (857)
Medal record
World Championship
2015 Denmark
European Championship
2010 Denmark/Norway
World Youth Championship
2006 Canada
European Junior Championship
2007 Turkey
European Youth Championship
2005 Austria

Often considered the best player in the world and rated by many in the sport as the greatest of all time, Neagu is the only female handball player in history to win four IHF World Player of the Year awards (in 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018).[3][4] She also won the EHF Player of the Year award in 2017 and 2018 (a record). She has been selected to the All-EHF Champions League All-Star Team five times (2015–18 and 2020).

A prolific goalscorer, Neagu is the European Championship's all-time leader in goals scored (237).[5] She was the 2015 World Championship top-scorer and was named MVP of the tournament.[6] She also finished as the top scorer of the EHF Champions League in the 2014–15 and 2017–18 seasons.

Neagu was given the award of Cetățean de onoare ("Honorary Citizen") of the city of Bucharest in 2017.[7]

Early life

Cristina Neagu is the daughter of Vasilica and Constantin Neagu. She was born in Bucharest, Romania, and grew up in Ghencea district, being the youngest of three siblings.[8] Maria Covaci, local middle school coach, introduced her to handball when she was 12 years old.[9]

Professional career

Injury

During the 2010–11 season, her right shoulder cartilage was damaged. On 10 October 2012, Neagu returned to play in the Romanian Women's Handball League at 605 days (approximately 1 year and 7 months) after injury and after she received long-term treatment in the United States.[10]

She got seriously injured again during a training session in January 2013. Neagu was out for six months after undergoing surgery on the left knee for ruptured cruciate ligaments.[11]

Comeback and later career

After nearly two-and-a-half years of injuries, Neagu again reached the final stage of the Champions League, this time in 2014 with Montenegrin side Budućnost.

On 21 December 2014, she was awarded best left back of the 2014 European Championship. She was also among the tournament top goalscorers, ranking second.

After an outstanding 2013–14 season, she got nominated again for the IHF World Player of the Year Award, but this time she lost to Eduarda Amorim being named second best player in the world with 25.8% of the votes.[12]

Neagu won her first Champions League trophy in 2015 after an outstanding season, topping the goalscorers list alongside Andrea Penezić and being voted the best left back of the competition.

She was named MVP player at the 2015 World Championship in Denmark, where she scored 63 goals – being the top goalscorer in the competition.[6]

Neagu reached the final stage of the Champions League three times (in 2010, 2014 and 2015). She has been a member of the European Championship All-Star Team three times (2010, 2014 and 2016). She received a bronze medal at the 2010 European Championship, being also the top scorer of the competition and having the most assists.

A bad injury sidelined Neagu once again in the final main round match against Hungary at the 2018 European Championship when she was in a commanding position to finish as top scorer. She tore her ACL and had to undergo surgery on her right knee.[13]

Personal life

Neagu is a huge football fan and a big supporter of local team Steaua București, and attends their matches at the Arena Națională stadium.[14]

Achievements

Individual
IHF
EHF
National
  • 6× Romanian Player of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018[21]
  • Romanian Sportsperson of the Year: 2015[22]
  • Brașov County Sportsperson of the Year: 2008[23]
  • 3× Liga Națională Best Romanian Player: 2017, 2018, 2019[24]
  • Cupa României Final Four Most Valuable Player: 2018[25]
  • 2× Pro Sport Most Valuable Player of the Liga Națională: 2018,[26] 2020[27]
  • 2× Pro Sport All-Star Team Left Back of the Liga Națională: 2018,[26] 2020[27]
Other

References
  1. EHF profile
  2. "Cristina Neagu Fapte și Statistici". Red Bull (in Romanian). Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  3. Giuclea, Andreea (20 September 2019). "Cristina Neagu: Un 8 de Neoprit, documentarul unei cariere unice în handbal". Red Bull (in Romanian). Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  4. "World's first female handball player to win three Player of the Year awards: Cristina Neagu sets world record". World Record Academy. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  5. Ulmeanu, Ioana (4 December 2018). "Interviu EXCLUSIV: 100% Cristina Neagu – golgheterul all-time al Campionatului European de handbal". Elle (in Romanian). Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  6. "La Roumaine Cristina Neagu désignée MVP du Mondial féminin". L'Équipe (in French). 20 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  7. "Cristina Neagu becomes 'Honorary Citizen of Bucharest'". Handball Planet. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  8. "Acasa la Cristina Neagu: "Mami, ce medalie imi aduci?"" (in Romanian). Evenimentul Zilei. 16 December 2010.
  9. "Prima antrenoare a Cristinei Neagu îi face o caracterizare inedită" (in Romanian). Libertatea. 16 December 2010.
  10. Ursescu, Marian (11 October 2012). "Revenire după 605 zile " Cristina Neagu a jucat din nou pentru Oltchim". Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  11. "Cristina Neagu six months out!". Handball Planet. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  12. "Karabatic and Amorim – Grundfos World Handball Players of the Year". IHF.info. 25 February 2015. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  13. Ursescu, Marian (4 November 2019). "Cristina Neagu, lungul drum al suferinței! Cum au arătat cele 326 de zile de calvar, de la operație până la revenire". Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  14. Nicolae, Răzvan (15 February 2018). "Cristina Neagu îi susţine pe stelişti! "O iubire roş-albastră!"". Fanatik (in Romanian). Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  15. "Neagu and Hansen named 2018 World Players of the Year". International Handball Federation. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  16. "Neagu, "World's best Rookie of the Year 2009"". Nine O'Clock. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  17. "Passing the top-scorer crown: Farkas to Neagu". fra2018.ehf-euro.com. 5 December 2018.
  18. "5 lucruri pe care nu le ştiai despre cea mai bună handbalistă a lumii, Cristina Neagu!". Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 14 January 2011.
  19. "Cristina Neagu". Sports-Hub (in Romanian). Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  20. "Cei mai buni jucători ai anului 2018". FRH (in Romanian). Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  21. "Cristina Neagu, cea mai bună jucătoare de handbal din lume, pentru a patra oară!". CSM București (in Romanian). Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  22. Constantinescu, Andrei. "Simona Halep și Horia Tecău, învinși de Cristina Neagu și Andreea Chițu". Doar Tenis (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  23. "Cristina Neagu, sportivul anului în Braşov". ProSport (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  24. Ursescu, Marian. "Premii pentru Crina Pintea și Mihai Popescu " Federația Română de Handbal a desemnat cei mai buni handbaliști ai anului". Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  25. "Primul trofeu al sezonului pentru CSM București. "Tigroaicele" au câștigat Cupa României". Digi Sport (in Romanian). Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  26. Huțu, Marius. "Cristina Neagu, cea mai bună handbalistă din Liga Naţională în sezonul 2017–2018. Cum arată echipa ideală a campionatului, după voturile exprimate de antrenori". ProSport (in Romanian). Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  27. Huțu, Marius (25 May 2020). "Echipa sezonului în Liga Florilor și topul celor mai bune cinci handbaliste. Cristina Neagu este MVP-ul în 2020! ProSport a discutat cu toți antrenorii și a definitivat "superlativele"". ProSport (in Romanian).
  28. "Cristina Neagu is NBSC World Handball Female Player 2018!". Handball-Planet. 31 January 2019.
  29. "WOMEN'S HANDBALL "BEST 8" IN 2014". Handball-Planet. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  30. "MIZUNO FEMALE WORLD HANDBALL TEAM 2015 – BEST 8". Handball-Planet. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  31. "HANDBALL WORLD UNITED: Over 35.000 votes for the best handball girls in 2016". Handball-Planet. 11 January 2017.
  32. "WORLD FEMALE HANDBALL BEST 8 IN 2017". Handball-Planet. 8 February 2018.
  33. "WORLD FEMALE HANDBALL BEST 8 IN 2018". Handball-Planet. 31 January 2019.
  34. "Umulig ikke å sette henne øverst" (in Norwegian). TV 2 Norge. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  35. "Handbalistele au luat Cupa Mondială pentru a doua oară consecutiv! " Hora de la Aarhus!" (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 27 September 2010.
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